Your Heart Beats In Double Time

One of my favourite makeup artists to follow on Instagram is Fiona Stiles. Some of her celebrity clients include Gabrielle Union, Elizabeth Banks, Kate Beckinsale, Katherine Langford and Lily Collins. You may have seen her incredible Priscilla Presley inspired, lilac pastel look on Lily Collins at the Met Gala earlier this month (which I still plan on trying to recreate).  She's such an incredible artist and always seems to try something new and different on her clients. I'm constantly inspired by her work, especially on Lily Collins as we have similar skin tone and hair colour so I figure anything that looks good on her, might work on me too. 

When I saw this post of Lily Collins wearing graphic black liner and bright red lips a couple of days before the Met Gala, I knew I'd have to recreate it. Fiona made a reference to Robert Palmer Girls in her post about this look and I can totally see the eighties inspiration for the overall look with the black and red star print sequin one shoulder dress by Saint Laurent and hair slicked back. It's definitely got that Addicted to Love vibe to it which I loved as it's something different to the usual looks we see on Lily Collins, but the whole look was unbelievable on her (Also, I dressed up as a Robert Palmer Girl for Halloween one year.)

I loved how the graphic liner and red lips looked against her fair skin. Her complexion was even and flawless with very little colour other than what looks like a touch of a pale pink blush. I used the bareMinerals BAREPRO Liquid Foundation as it's full coverage and the perfect shade match for my skin. I wanted to wear a full coverage foundation so that the brows, liner and lipstick stood out even more. I could also see what looked like a purple liner on her waterline. I used the closest thing I had which was Glossier Play Colorslide in Critical Mass which is more on the pink side but I thought was such a great small detail in the look Fiona created. I used the L'Oréal Paris Unbelieva'brow Brow Gel as it's the darkest brow product I have and Lily has the best brows and they're quite dark. I used a mixture of two lips products, one of which had to be from Lancôme as Lily is one of the faces of the brand. I used the Matte Shaker in the shade Red'y in 5 along with No7 Brick Red lipstick as the shade  in the photo seemed to be more of a brick red, than a blue or orange based red. I used a couple of mate shades from the IT Cosmetics IT Girl Vol. 2 palette just to define my eyes slightly at the socket line. 

Hopefully I did the look justice!

*Lancôme Prep & Hydrate Illuminating Make-up Primer
Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen SPF 30
*bareMinerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Liquid Foundation (Fair)
bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
*IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer (Light)
*Clarins Glow 2 Go Blush and Highlighter Stick (Golden Peach)
*L'Oréal Paris Unbelieva'brow Long-Lasting Brow Gel (Dark Brunette)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 
*Glossier Play Coloslide Technogel Eye Pencil (Critical Mass)
Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara
Glossier Cloud Paint Cream Blush (Dusk and Puff)
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid (Moonstone)
*Lancôme Long Time No Shine Powder
*No7 Match Made Stay Perfect Lipstick (Brick Red)
*Lancôme Matte Shaker Liquid Lipstick (Red'y in 5)

*Press Sample

What do you think of this look? Would you wear it?

Have you tried any of these products? If you have any favourite makeup artists, please let me know as I'm always looking for more to follow.

Emma x

Glossier Playdate

If you've been following me for any length of time you'll know I'm a big fan of Glossier. So when they launched their sister brand Glossier Play that focuses on "dialled-up beauty extras" with the belief that the best part of going out is getting ready, I was so excited to get my hands on the products and try them out. 

I was lucky enough to be sent a few products by Glossier, the Colorslide in the shade Critical Mass, Niteshine in Platinum Rose and Vinylic Lip in the shade Casino. I loved them all so much that I made  an order myself pretty much straight away. I went for two Glitter Gelées- Glass Bonsai and Firewalk, the Vinylic Lip Lacquer in Pony, the Blade sharpener, The Detailer multitool and the Colorslide eye pencil in Disaster Class. I've since been trying out different ways of wearing the products.

I saw a lot of negativity about the launch of Play, with people saying it wasn't very "Glossier" and slating the products for having too much packaging and that the glitter wasn't biodegradable. I've since heard that they are making changes to those things which is great as I think it put a lot of people off buying the products. What I really love about Glossier Play is that the products are so much fun to play with, I think they really nailed the colours and textures, they're easy to use and you get maximum impact with minimum effort. 

The whole collection, especially the packaging and typeface seems to have been heavily influenced by the seventies and everything Disco. It's obviously not going to be for everyone as bright colours, glossy textures and glitter isn't most people's bag, but having said that I think there is something for everyone whether it's the Pony Vinylic Lip Lacquer which as you can see below is a great neutral, or the Colorslide in Pretty Penny (a metallic copper) or Sparkle Shark (a metallic gunmetal grey) or the Niteshine highlighters which I think any makeup lover would adore. 

I used Disaster Class (a deep wine red) liner along my lash line into a wing shape and used The Detailer brush to add Firewalk Glitter Gelée on top. I then added Cloud Paint in Storm and Haloscope in Moonstone AND Niteshine in Platinum Rose on top and blended it out with the Real Techniques Setting Brush. As you can see it gives an incredible sheen to my skin, its definitely more pigmented than the Haloscopes but the formula is concentrated so you only need the smallest amount and it's easy to blend out with a brush or your fingers. I'm so obsessed with this product, it's almost a look in itself it's so eye catching! You could also add it to the Cloud Paints for some extra shine.

This is one layer of Pony Vinylic Lip, you can build up the texture and colour intensity by adding more layers but I wanted to let the glitter and highlighter be the star of the show so I kept the lips quite simple. If you're a fan of shiny lip products, these lacquers are so gorgeous. They smell amazing, they're easy to use and the colours are beautiful. The bright red shade Baby is next on my list. I love that you can wear them more sheer or really build them up for full on glossy glamour. They obviously don't last as long as a matte lipstick but they fade very evenly and they're so fun  and addictive to apply you won't mind topping up.

I've tried the Colorslide liners on their own too and they really stay put and don't smudge but you do have to work quickly if you want to blend them out as they really set into place. I'm dying to get a few more shades, I have my eye on Adult Swim and Early Girl in particular. You can get colourful liners like this from a few brands like Urban Decay and NYX and I think it's a great way to play with colour if you want to ease yourself into it.

If you hadn't gathered as much already, I'm a huge fan of Glossier Play, I think they've really nailed fun makeup products with the shade range, quality and pricing. Also on a side note, the Blade sharpener is an absolute must-have if you use pencils. It's so handy! They also do a set called the Playground which is one of each product in whichever shades you want for €59.

Check out this post if you want to see another look with the Glitter Gelée in Firewalk.


Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen
*bareMinerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Liquid Foundation (Fair)
bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
*Clarins Glow 2 Go Blush and Highlighter Stick (02 Golden Peach)
*IT Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil
Essence Make Me Brow Eyebrow Gel Mascara (02 Browny Brows)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
Glossier Play Colorslide Technogel Eye Pencil (Disaster Class)
Glossier Play Glitter Gelée (Firewalk)
Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Mascara
*Glossier Cloud Paint Cream Blush (Storm)
Glossier Haloscope Face Highlighter (Moonstone)
*Glossier Play Niteshine Highlighter Concentrate (Platinum Rose)
Glossier Play Vinylic Lip High Shine Lacquer (Pony)

*Press Sample


I thought I'd add a few more photos that I've previously posted on my Instagram but are worth showing in this post so you can see the different ways I've worn the products.

Glitter Gelée in Glass Bonsai and Vinylic Lip in Pony

Niteshine in Platinum Rose, Colorslide in Critical Mass and Vinylic Lip in Casino

Critical Mass and Casino

Vinylic Lip in Casino

Let me know if you've tried anything from Glossier Play, or if there's anything you'd like to try. What do you think about the brand in general?

Emma x

**This post is in no way sponsored, some products were sent to me as press samples and some were bought myself. I'm just a big fan!

Total Eclipse of the Halo

Anyone who follows makeup artist extraordinaire Katie Jane Hughes will have most definitely heard of the brand Bodyography, more specifically their famous Glitter Pigments. Some time last year I happened upon them in Sally Beauty in Dublin and vowed to go back and get some at some point. Then last week I went in to stock up on hair products and saw that the Glitter Pigments were on half price clearance, so I went a bit mad and bought six of them (I did give one to my sister though). I looked up swatches in the store and settled on Eclipse (a burgundy/pink), Halo (a silver diamond), Stellar (a rose-gold copper), Caviar (a smoky brown) and Bubbly (a yellow gold).

I tried out Eclipse first and applied it with my finger, which is the recommended way to use it as it gives the most payoff. I saw KJH using Halo in the centre of her lid so I tried that and I love how it looked. I decided to keep the rest of my makeup quite tonal again and used a mixture of Glossier Cloud Paint in Haze and Beam to create a pink shade for my cheeks and then a concoction of three lipsticks, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk, Bite Beauty Meringue and Revlon Rise Up Rose. That day I actually went and bought Charlotte Tilbury Lost Cherry lipstick, I asked the sales assistant if I could try it on first and I really loved how it looked with the eye makeup, so I wore the exact same makeup the following day with my new Lost Cherry lipstick. 

I was recently sent a press sample of the bareMinerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Liquid Foundation and the matching Luxe Performance Brush (and a back up of my favourite bareSkin Serum Concealer. I've never tried a foundation from bareMinerals before but I've heard great things so I was really looking forward to trying this. I've tried it a few times so far and despite it being a full coverage, matte finish foundation I'm actually surprised by how much I like it on. I don't need to use powder and I find it looks better after it's been on for a while. I'll do a more in depth review with before and after photos once I've been using it for a bit longer. Has anyone tried it?

Also if anyone is looking for a good waterproof mascara, I can highly recommend the L'Oréal Paris Paradise Extatic Waterproof mascara. I was probably the least fun I've ever had shopping for makeup as I bought it to wear to me granny's funeral, but honestly it didn't budge and I really put it through it's paces! It's a bitch to remove but if you like a waterproof mascara, this looks amazing and doesn't move. It's a weird recommendation I know, but I thought someone might find it useful as I bought it in a bit of a haze.


*bareMinerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Liquid Foundation (Fair)
bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
*Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Camouflage Concealer (010 Beige Porcelaine)
*IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Waterproof Concealer (Light)
*IT Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil
Essence Make Me Brow Eyebrow Gel Mascara (02 Browny Brows)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
Bodyography Glitter Pigments (Eclipse and Halo)
Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
NYX Professional Makeup Epic Ink Liner
L'Oréal Paris Paradise Extatic Waterproof Mascara
*Glossier Cloud Paint Cream Blush (Haze and Beam)
Glossier Haloscope Face Highlighter (Moonstone)
Kat Von D Beauty 'Lock-It' Translucent Setting Powder
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick (Lost Cherry)
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat (Pillow Talk)
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick (Pillow Talk)
BITE Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick (Meringue)
Revlon Superlustrous Matte Lipstick (Rise Up Rose)

*Press Sample

Emma x

Independent Meow

Inspiration can come from the strangest places, this time it was from my niece's LOL toy, a colourful cat named Independent Meow. As soon as she proudly showed me her new toy I thought it would be fun to recreate the bright pink and black winged liner. Although I sent a photo of the look to my sister to show my niece thinking she would be very impressed but she just criticised it by telling me I forgot the blue glitter, my head wasn't white (although I disagree with that one) and I didn't have brown under my eyes.

Despite the harsh criticism of a four year old, I really loved how this turned out and it's reminded me to continue to look for inspiration everywhere. Obviously the pink eyeshadow is quite bright so I pared it with one of my favourite neutral lipsticks, Clinique Nude Pop and kept my skin fresh with the Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation. You can read my full review of it here. 

Rituals Sun Protection Face Cream SPF50
Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation (101 Linen)
bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer (Fair)
L'Oréal Paris Unbelieva'brow Long-Lasting Brow Gel (Dark Brunette)
Keyvn Aucoin The Eyelash Curler
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
BPerfect Cosmetics Stacey Marie Carnival Palette (Funki)
Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara
Clarins Glow 2 Go Blush & Highlighter Duo Stick (Golden Peach)
Canmake Cream Cheek (07 Coral Orange)
Glossier Haloscope Face Highlighter (Moonstone)
Kat Von D Lock-It Setting Powder 
NYX Professional Makeup Suede Matte Lip Liner (Lavender & Lace)
Clinique Pop Lip Colour and Primer (Nude Pop)

What do you think? Would you look for makeup inspiration in the toy box?

Emma x

Backtalk

Like most people I'm sure, I have a few go-to makeup looks that I'll do if I don't have much time to get ready, but still want to look put together. One of these is a pink toned shade on my eyes and an orange-red on my lips. I've tried various combinations of this look, but the one I've found is the easiest and most fool proof is the shade Backtalk from the Urban Decay Backtalk palette and either Charlotte Tilbury Tell Laura, MAC Lady Danger, Rosie for Autograph Supermodel Kiss or the shade I've used below which is the stunning Velvet Morning by Lisa Eldridge. I find the tones work really well together and it looks like I've made more of an effort than I actually have. I'm all for one eyeshadow looks and this is my favourite one because this shade is a warm rosy pink that's so easy to blend and requires little to no effort.

This palette is actually quite underrated. If you're a fan of warm shades, there's good variety here and despite it not looking very exciting from far away, there's a lot you can do with it. I thought Bare and Curve looked too similar but they're different enough when applied to the lids. Backtalk is another one that is quite deceptive as it looks much more pale and cool toned in the palette but as you can see, it has a warmth to it when applied to the eyelids.

I've also shown how this look can be worn with a more neutral lip colour. In the last photo I'm wearing the lipstick that inspired this palette- Backtalk, which is apparently one of the most popular Urban Decay lipstick shades. It's slightly more cool toned than the eyeshadow but still works well to create a tonal look. 

The eyeshadow and lipstick are both a matte finish, although both lipsticks are a more modern matte formula that aren't drying on your lips. However because of that I wanted to keep my skin looking very hydrated and luminous so I used the Missha Magic Cushion Moisture which my friend brought me back from Japan. It's the product I use when I want super glowing skin but it has SPF50 so it's also great if you're going to be outside in the sun which I was on this day.  I doubled up on sun protection by using Glossier Invisible Shield first as it's a light texture that doesn't interfere at all with the makeup used on top of it. I also used the Clarins Instant Poreless Primer, not for my pores but more for makeup longevity in my t-zone because it was a particularly warm day. I also set the t-zone area with powder and then spritzed Urban Decay All Nighter on top. I find the best technique to getting makeup to last through hot weather is by using light layers, letting each layer set properly and then only set where you need to and honestly setting sprays are a lifesaver, All Nighter is still the best one I've tried.


Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen SPF30
*Clarins Instant Poreless Primer Review Here
Missha Magic Cushion Moisture SPF50+
*IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer (Light)
*IT Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil
Glossier Boy Brow (Brown)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging
*Urban Decay Balktalk Palette (Shade Balktalk)
Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara
*Glossier Cloud Paint Cream Blush (Storm)
Glossier Haloscope Face Highlighter (Moonstone)
*Urban Decay Comfort Matte Vice Lipstick (Backtalk)
Lisa Eldridge Plush True Velvet Lipstick (Velvet Morning) Currently not available, similar lipsticks include Rosie for Autograph Supermodel Kiss, MAC Lady Danger and Charlotte Tilbury Tell Laura
*Clarins Glow 2 Go Duo Stick (02 Golden Peach) Review Here
*Lancôme Long Time No Shine Loose Setting and Mattifying Powder (Translucent)
Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray


What are your go-to makeup looks for when you're in a hurry?

Emma x